euro|topics - How should Europe tackle terrorism?

04/07/2009

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Main focus of Wednesday, July 4, 2007

How should Europe tackle terrorism?

In the aftermath of the failed terrorist attacks in Great Britain, the media discuss the appropriate and effective means for fighting terrorism. While the British remain calm, others call for stricter controls and increased surveillance.

The Guardian - United Kingdom

Columnist Simon Jenkins condemns the dramatic language used to describe terrorists, who should instead be treated like common criminals. "British national security is not remotely threatened by these bombs. They do not, as Blair loved to claim, 'undermine the British way of life and threaten western civilisation'. They kill people and damage property. ... Terrorism cannot work without the fear engendered by publicity and the clamour for revenge. The terrorist wants a megaphone for his cause, 'understanding' for his grievance, and martyrdom for himself and his colleagues. He wants ... the status of political crusader rather than common criminal. Today every statement from government, judiciary and press accords terrorists that status. ... Why err on the side of terror rather than on the side of calm? Fear pumped up to the level of panic by the oxygen of publicity is precisely what the terrorist wants." (04/07/2007)

Le Soir - Belgium

Columnist Alain Lallemand considers that a "new generation of terrorists lacking paramilitary training" has emerged. "The 'Base,' of the Bin Ladin and Al-Zawahiri creed, which prepared the attacks in Nairobi or New York up to five years in advance, is actually an outdated structure. ... As a result, prevention has become delicate: finished are the systems and grand networks. The basics of finding potential terrorists focuses on the moment when the individual moves beyond radical ideology - to think, while bad, is thankfully not a crime - to a project and then the planning (very rapid, according to the new thinking) of reprehensible acts. With regard to individual liberties, we are on very sensitive ground: few tools available allow us to catch, without unacceptably encroaching on our freedoms, this transformation from private engagement to public terrorist activity." (04/07/2007)

Berlingske Tidende - Denmark

The newspaper argues that public surveillance is not wrong, as the recent failed attacks prove. "The ongoing terrorist investigations in Great Britain prove that not all forms of surveillance are automatically bad. The extensive use of video cameras in public places in London is a fantastic aid to the investigations. They can be used to turn back the clock and even bring the hidden enemy to light - and all this without harassing the average citizen." (03/07/2007)

Svenska Dagbladet - Sweden

According to the Swedish daily it's time to clear up a few myths about terrorism. One of these myths, it points out, is that poverty and oppression are the main causes of terrorism. As the newspaper notes, it turns out that those behind the attacks in Great Britain are educated doctors. Another myth is that "Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. Before the accused were employed by Britain's National Health Service they only had one thing in common: they were all strict Muslims; the woman arrested in connection with the attacks wore a Burqa... This doesn't mean that all Muslims are terrorists or sympathise with terrorists, but it does show that there is a huge problem within Islam." (04/07/2007)

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, July 4, 2007

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